The first two days of being here I remember wanting to be quiet, but I couldn't because I had a team. I was LEADING a team of 12 people who'd never been to Uganda. When people asked me why my personality type chose to lead, I told them it was because I was ready the broken moments. the moments that their hearts break for the country, for the people, and for Jesus. I wanted to help them process their thoughts and emotions and when I didn't know what to say I wanted to encourage them to run to Jesus because I don't know why things happen they way they do here. I don't know how I did- I don't know if I did everything the way I was supposed to do it but I loved every second of leading-- even the moments that I had to take a break to cry in my room because things were too hard. I loves the late night talks, the dinner around a small table, the debrief sessions at night. I loved it all. We made memories and I know that the team will never forget Uganda and I'm thankful for that.
The second part of the trip I asked our driver, who is also a community developer more questions than ever. I wanted to know about Uganda- the good, the bad and the ugly. I wanted to get raw answers. Why are there so many orphans? Why is it allowed for the dads to just leave? Why do some people wear jeans and some wear skirts? That's just the surface of the questions and he answered every question and when he didn't know the answer he simply let me know. I liked that about him, he wasn't a know it all. Just a smart man.
The second half of this trip, I've been invited into homes of people I don't remember their names. I stayed at a house in the village without a guard or gate- to say I was nervous about it at first is an understatement. I was NERVOUS. But I got over it because Brenda was sharing a bed with me and she's strong.
I was in another village after dark, that was mostly Muslim visiting Asia and Christopher- again nervous, but not too much because they knew their way around.
I've walked more here than ever before in my life. We walked from the guest house to the restaurant about a mile up the street, I walked around a village today that had houses for orphans and their own way of farming. I walked on the equator. I walked up a semi mountain after looking at tomato plants and cut my foot on grass-- how that happens? No one knows. I walked around the slums of Kampala. I walked around a baby cottage. I walked through supermarkets. I walked in the mall. I walked to to buy water. I walked in the water to be a part of a baptism service. I walked on a boat. I walked to a boda-boda. I walked a lot of places and with every place I walked I learned something new. I saw new things and I met new people. And my feet got dirty, so dirty.
Uganda, I am forever thankful for you. I am forever both in love and confused by you and I am ready to be here.
&& that's a wrap.
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